7.0

Borderlands 2 for the PC is the highly anticipated sequel to the popular Gearbox game Borderlands. It's difficult to review Borderlands 2 without comparing it to its predecessor's highly addictive blend of first person shooter mechanics and the traditional action adventure pursuit of increasingly better loot.

The game begins with a whole new set of vault hunters: adventurers that scan the world of Pandora for vaults containing untold riches. With this new set of characters come a whole slew of new classes for players to choose from. Regardless of your playing style, you can be sure that there's a class that will be the right fit for you.

The Assassin is designed to cater to those that prefer a stealthy option with their missions, sneaking up to the enemy and then dispatching them quickly with their sword. The Gunzerker, on the other hand, completely forgoes any chances of stealth in favor of wielding two guns at once for maximum firepower. The Commando utilizes various turrets to prepare traps in anticipation of enemy movements while the Siren uses her abilities to actually control when and where the enemy can go. In single player this creates a difficult decision early on, but in multi-player it allows for a fast paced game of frenetic action as each class works in conjunction with the others for maximum damage.

As much fun as the concept of a shoot and loot game might be, Borderlands 2 is not without its faults. Looting guns takes up a large portion of your time in the world of Pandora, though there is actually very little to be done aesthetically for your character. If sifting through lists and making calculations in your head sounds like a good time, then you'll have no problem getting into the meat of Borderlands 2. If, on the other hand, your interest lies more in the grittier aspects of warfare, you'll be left somewhat disappointed. That's not to say there's an absence of shooting in the game. On the contrary, every quest in the game will culminate in at least some form of battle, which is then followed by the obligatory scanning of the environment for more loot to compare to your current haul.

What would otherwise make this a stale and repetitive game is saved by superb writing on the part of Gearbox. Borderlands 2 follows in the footsteps of its predecessor with the same witty dialogue that sure to elicit at least a few chuckles during the course of its events.

Ultimately, Borderlands 2 is a great sequel to a game already beloved by many. With four new classes to experience and online co-op, anyone with an interest in the first game should pick up Borderlands 2 for the PC immediately. For anyone else, the far better story of the sequel is worth playing through even if you don't have intimate knowledge of the game's setting. Its sharp writing and irreverent humor will keep you entertained well after the allure of shooting and looting has worn off.